[CCIP]

I'd point to the other side of it - shouldn't we all be finally happy that things like the Eastern Front are getting their due attention? I've been pretty shocked with some (non-military-enthusiast) lack of knowledge about the Soviet role in the war, and many other campaigns.

I don't know about the Soviets winning alone - but what I can tell you is that any historian that thrives on "what-ifs" is NOT a historian but a quack. That is not how you get your facts and teach history.

As for the Soviet "fighting because Stalin said so" - ridiculous. Considering the absolute ruthlessness of the German occupation, which everyone knew about, I don't think it's any surprise that the Soviets fought the way they did. Use of suicide tactics was rather widespread - orders might force soldiers to go out and fight, but only a personal and fanatical belief in your cause will get you to blow yourself up, or fly your plane into the enemy, or something along those lines.
Likewise, it should be kept in mind that there is a very unfortunate Russian trait which predates the Soviet era by centuries - the disregard for human lives in war efforts. It wasn't Stalin who invented it - far from.

Anyway, as for 'who won the war' - well of course everyone won the war. I don't know what war exists in someone's fantasies, but the WWII that happened COULD NOT have been won without the British; COULD NOT have been won without the Soviets; COULD NOT have been won without the US; COULD NOT have been won without everyone else - nor without Hitler's lovely mistakes.